Field performance of Pinus contorta trees propagated vegetatively via adventitious buds

Abstract

Pinus contorta plants regenerated from adventitious buds induced on zygotic embryos were planted in a field trial where growth, straightness and flowering were followed over 7 years. Seedlings were taller than the plants derived from adventitious buds at the start of the field trial. Adventitious plants did not catch up with seedlings in height after 7 years in the field, but the relative height growth was equal. The higher frequency of plagiotropic growth that was displayed by adventitious plants the first year in the field was not reflected by differences in the frequency of basal sweeps 6 years later. However, the frequency of crooked stems was comparatively high but similar among the plant types. Flowering was more abundant for the seedlings than for adventitious plants. Taken together, the results show that P. contorta can be cloned via adventitious buds from zygotic embryos, and that the resulting plants show satisfactory growth for inclusion in breeding.